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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 120 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  2. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  3. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  4. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  5. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  6. I've got to change the light ________________.
  7. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  8. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  9. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  10. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  11. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  12. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  13. When will it ________________ you to start?
  14. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  15. He was locked up in a ________________.
  16. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  17. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  18. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  19. The light ________________ burned out.
  20. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  21. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  22. The ball is in your ________________.
  23. It's one o'clock ________________.
  24. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. rest — what's left
  2. cell — a phone
  3. sharp — clever
  4. degree — from a university
  5. suit — clothes
  6. bulb — for light
  7. root — of a plant
  8. rest — what's left
  9. court — of a king
  10. root — the cause
  11. court — of law
  12. sharp — with an edge
  13. suit — to fit
  14. cell — in biology
  15. cell — in a prison
  16. degree — an amount
  17. suit — in cards
  18. rest — a break
  19. bulb — for light
  20. bulb — of a plant
  21. root — of a word
  22. court — for sport
  23. sharp — exactly
  24. degree — temperature

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com